Hopper feed control mechanism for slide fastener stringer forming apparatus



D. SILBERMAN June 17, 1941. 7 2 ,245,727

HOPPER FEED CONTROL MECHANISM FOR SLIDE FASTENER STRINGER FORMINGAPPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.'17, 1959 BY INVENTOR. I

. ATTORNEY.

J1me D. SILBERMAN.

2,245,727 R ,SLIDE FASTENER- V STRINGER FORMING'APPARATUS Flled Feb 17,1939 HOPPER FEED CONTROL MECHANISM F0 Sheets-Sheet 2v IINVVENTOR.

ATTQRNEY.

I Patented June 17, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcs- HOPPER FEEDCONTROL MECHANISM FOR SLIDE 'FASTENEB STRINGEB- FORMING APPARATUS 1David Silberman, Brooklyn, N. 1., assignor a Unlversal Slide FastenerCo. Inc., New York, N. -Y., i a corporation of New York I ApplicationFebruary-i7, 1939, Serial No. 256314 ,4

3fi18ims. This invention relates to improvements in-hopper feed controlmechanisms for .slide fastener stringer forming machines. 1

Up to the present time, in machines for form-. ing slide fastenerswherein pre-formed scoops are I hopper fed to mechanisms for mountingonto the tape considerable diiliculty has been encountered due to thefact that no definite control has been developed for supplying scoops inpre-determined amount and in a constant flow to the distributor fordelivery'to thechute and thence for mounting means. Usually, inapparatusofthis type, an operator feeds an undetermined amount of scoopsinto the distributor at random and, as a result of this practice, eitheroverloading or 'underloading of the distributoroccurs, inthe. case ofthe former causing a jamming at the chute forming apparatus and, for thepurpose of illustration, is shownin association withanjapparatus of thecharacter disclosed in the patent to Nagele, 2,094,715, the assembly ofwhich is illlustrated in the fine lines of Figure 1.

Referring particularly to Figure l the (Essen-- tial elements of thestringer forming apparatus to .which the hopper feed control is appliedare the distributor head A, the delivery chute'B, the

scoop mounting mechanism 0, the scoop spacing control D, and a driveshaft E controlling" the same, allbeing carriedon' frame F.

entrance and in the latter in the midst'of operations providing unwantedgaps in'the stringers being formed, due to failure of deliveryof vscoopsinto the chute.

The hopper feed control assembly ,shown gene erally in full lines at theright of Figure 1, come prises of a bracket "l0 mounted on the frame Fvand supporting an upstanding tubular stem II, V

atthe upper end of which'is carriedhopper l2.

' The: hopper II, as shownin detail in Figure 3;

' comprises a cylindrical body l3, providediwith a To obviate thisdifiicultyQI'have provided a hopper feed controlassembly which maybe'associated with any of the-various types of appara tus applyingpre-formed scoops to the .tapefor forming stringers, wherein there isdelivered periodically from a hopper to the distributor a predeterminednumber of scoopsisuillcient to at all times maintain the necessary levelof scoops in I the distributor for delivery into the chute.

Specifically, it is an object of thisinvention to provide a hopper feedcontrol wherein there issynchronized for operation with thescoop l9 andneck I8'to thedistributor A.

mounting mechanism anejector valve control i feed mechanism fordelivering to'the distributor a pre-determined amount dependent'upon theoperation of the speed of the machine for maintaining a positiveunhindered flow of scoops from the distributorto the chute;

These and other advantages, capabilities and features of the inventionwill appearirom the.

subjoined detailed description of Lone specific em bodiment thereof,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is afront elevationof a slideiastener stringer forming apparatusincorporating my hopper feed control. v

Figure 2 is an enlarged front tion of the hopper unit.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sideelevatlon partly in section taken alonglines 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged front elevation in feed control. 7 I Figure 5 isa side view of the ejector element of the hopper feed control.

elevation in sec- I perspective of the driving portion of the hopperReferring to the reference charactersin the drawings, the hopper feedcontrol shown in detail in the eavy lines of the drawings maybe appliedto rious types of slide fastener stringer cap H at its feed opening; anda substantially inverted frusto-conical base I5 at its, deliveryopening. At the lower end of bodyf|3 there is leading from inlet portl9' atth'e jointureof arm In neck l8 there is formed socket 21 inwhichis disposed spring pressed plunger 22 carrying a knob 23 at one end anda projection at the other; there being provided a circular slot in the rI enlarged chamber 25 defined at the upper end of the stem ll, forpassage of projection of the plunger to latch thel'ioppenli from rotarymovement with respect to the stem.-

Within the neck l8 ,which serves as a sleeve, there is mounted forreciprocation a slide valve ejector 26 shown-in detailin Figure 5, thesamebeing formed of-a castlngor the like provided with an open'chargingport-21, a base 28 and at its side a discharge port 29;"theinterior ofthe slide valveZG. being shaped toprovide a curved sloping channel 30leading from charging port 21 to discharge port 29. The wall section 3|adjacent' the outlet port is of length and so formed, to open or closein varying degrees the inlet port l9 betweenthe neck l8 and thebrancharm is, lnconjunction with discharge port 29.

The slide valve ejector 26 has mounted on-its base a downwardly,ext-ending leg 33 and at its side an outwardly extending arm 34,:the'latter passing through a rectangular slot 35 of the neck. A tensionspring 36 extends from arm 34 to a lug mounted exteriorly of the neck,for normally tudinal slot ll of greater extent.

' determined intervals tion at thebase of stem ll (Figures3 and 4).Slide block 39 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 40opposite to which there is" provided in the stem Il a correspondinglongi- To the slide block there is attached exteriorly of the :stemslide bar flithe'sliderod and'slide block being attached to one anotherby means of screw 43 passing through the slide bar, the slot inthe stem,and embedded in the slide block; there being provided above and belowthe locking screw guide elements 44, each comprising a threadedend-embedded in the slide block and a head resting withinapertures ofthe slide rod and a centralbearingsurface resting within the channel 40of the slide block and slot of the stem.

The lower end of the slide bar 42 is mounted within channel 48 of driver45 a d is fastened thereto by screw fastening element 41. The lower endof driver 45 is offset and bifurcated, andleg 33 of the valve base,slide block 33 being displaced in the upward movement against thetension of spring II and the gable being moved against the tension ofspring 36; as the cam comes to the'dwell portion which providespractically a vertical drop (see Figure 2), springs 36 and IIrespectively .draw the valve 23 and the slide block 42 'from theirdotted line position (Fi ures) to their full line position.

Immediately the roller 0 riding on the grade ually increasing diameterof the cam surface, after passing the dwell-thereof, comes to graduallylift the slide block and correspondingly open the valve until thegreatest radius of the cam-is obtained. During this gradual opening ofthe ,valve scoops carried in the hopper and always'fillihg the interiorof the valve are gradually discharged through the outlet port of thevalve as the upper end of the same passes the lower end of the camopening until the dotted line position of thevalve is attained.

, Theivalve is so formed as'regards its size and thecam is soconstructed as-to provide sufllcient carries onshaft 48 between the armsof the bifurcation, roller 43 riding on-cam 50 carried on extensionshaft 5| keyed tov the main drive shaft E for the mounting means C andspacing control D, said extension shaft 5| being supported for roscoo-psfor delivery into-the distributor without overloading the same, norunderfeeding the same; as, for example, during the period when themounting mechanism functions but no scoops are fedby virtue of thespacing control, the hopper feed control continues but the amount ofscoops fed is determined bythe size of the valve interior and the outletport provides for suillcient tation in bearings defined by bracket 52and arm 54 forming an extension of bracket III. A tension springii isfastened at one end to slide rod 42 and at the other to bracket l'l.

In order that the function of the elements of the hopper feed control beindicated in their correlation with the remainder of the slide fastenerstringer forming mechanisms some of thedetails of construction of thesamewill be indicated. vOne ofthe feed cylinders 60 forming part of themounting means between the threads of which scoops 6| pass from theguideway Slot chute B for mounting on the tape is coupled by worm 64 andwheel 65 and shaft E to toothed driving wheel 66 carrying endlessspacing band tion without departing from the general spirit of theinvention as set forth in the appended claims.

61 and to this shaft, transmitting the motion from the feed cylinder'tothe spacing control gear there is keyed extension shaft 5| carryingcontrol cam 50 for the hopper'feed mechanism.

As thefeed cylinders '80 operate to provide a mounting of scoops ontospacing control D acting on hand 61 limits the flow of scoops to providethe spacing thereof in groups on the tape, the hopper feed control isactuated through the cam ill to function at prein the rotation of suchshaft. I

Following is the operation of the hopper feed control: as shaft 5|rotates,

taking Figure 3 to illustrate the lowest position of the valve. 26,

shown in full lines, roller 49 tacting thesurface of the moved upwardlyuntil the the cam is attained, by which time the valve has moved to thedotted lines view shown in Figure 2, with its outlet port 29 in linewith the inlet port I9 of the arm l8, by virtue of theupward movement ofthe slide block 39, the drive rod 68 carried thereby, plunger 31 andupstanding pro on slide bar con- -jection 38 on such plunger acting ondepending cam is gradually highest bulge 5| of the tape, and the feed ofscoops to maintain a continuous flow from the distributor to the chute.

It is obvious that various changes and .modifications may be made to thedetails of construc- I claim;

1. In a slide fastenerstringer forming apparatus, in combination with adistributor continuously feeding pre-formed scoops for mounting onto atape, a charging device for' said distributor comprising a hoppercarrying pre-formed scoops, a passageway between the hopperand'distributor, a control valve re'cipr'ocable in said passageway, andmeans periodically actuatin g said valve for delivering ,of scoops inpre-determined amounts from said hopper to said distributor,

2. In a slide fastener stringer-forming apparatus, in combination withadistributor continuously feeding pre-formed scoops for mounting onto atape, a charging device for said distributor comprising-a hoppercarrying pre-formed scoops, a. passageway between the hopper anddistributor,

"a charging valve reciprocable in saidpassageway providing and closingcommunication between said hopper and distributor, and means actuatingsaid valve for permitting periodic delivery of scoops in'pre-determinedamounts from said hopper to said distributor. 4

3. In' a slide fastener stringer forming apparatus, in combinationwith-adistributor continuously feeding pre-formed scoops for mounting 7 onto atape, a charging-device for said distributor comprising a hoppercarrying pro-formed scoops,

a passageway between said hopper and distributor, a valve in saidpassageway incorporating a measuring chamber andreciprocable in saidpassageway for charging and discharging, and means actuating said valvefor permitting periodic discharge of scoops in pre-edetermined amountsfrom said hoppento said distributo SILB

